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Hereford prisoner wrote on wall with faeces

A PRISONER who used his own faeces to write on the walls of a cell at Hereford police station will have a new canvas for his graffiti after being sentenced to 18 weeks imprisonment.

Ross Richards, 32, of Prospect Walk, Hereford, also told officers he had aids before threatening to spit blood in their faces, Hereford Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday.

Having pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal damage and to the theft of an E-Cigarette from ASDA - stolen whilst waiting to pick up his methadone prescription - he was given the jail time after violating a suspended sentence, also for theft.

The court heard that the police cell had to be steam-cleaned after, on July 11, Roberts spread his faeces around the floor and used it to write on the walls.

IN an earlier incident he had kicked out and damaged a sat-nav in a patrol car and, after being transferred to a police van, broke the plastic casing around an interior light.

It was at this point he threatened to spit in the face of officers as soon as they opened the vehicle's doors, Lesley Ashton, prosecuting, told the court.

Chris Morgan, defending, said Roberts had been re-arrested for an offence he believed had been dealt with - provoking his reaction.

Head magistrate Lebhin Bromley sentenced him to a total of 10 weeks imprisonment for the three counts of criminal damage, and a further two for stealing the E-Cigarette.

A six-week suspended sentence - for stealing a charity box from the Brewers Arms pub in February - was also activated.